A*STAR & Siemens partner to advance smart manufacturing in ASEAN
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Siemens have formalised a partnership aimed at advancing innovation and digital transformation for smart and sustainable manufacturing within Singapore and throughout the ASEAN region.
Partnership details
As part of this collaboration, Siemens will become the first technology partner for A*STAR's Smart and Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SSAM) Catalyst. The SSAM Catalyst operates as an innovation sandbox within the A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (A*STAR ARTC). In this space, Siemens is providing an integrated portfolio spanning automation, electrification, industrial software, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that support the product lifecycle, from design and engineering to manufacturing and operations.
This partnership aims to provide companies with access to industrial AI and automation expertise, facilitating the development of sustainable manufacturing processes that align with international standards. It is also intended to help businesses that are expanding into the region become more adaptable, resilient, and competitive in a global context.
Testbed and industry support
Within the SSAM Catalyst innovation sandbox, companies are able to experiment with Siemens' suite of technologies. This is designed to speed up the use case development process, helping industries such as aerospace, fast-moving consumer goods, biomedical manufacturing, and complex semiconductor equipment production to address industry-specific needs.
The SSAM Catalyst provides three major areas of capability. "Design with Purpose, Engineered for Precision" focuses on advanced simulation and validation tools aimed at reducing development time and costs while improving overall accuracy and consistency across processes. The "Seamless Intelligence, Operational Efficiency" stream features industrial AI-powered solutions for data-driven decision-making, boosting equipment efficiency and offering robust data protection. Lastly, "Lights-Out Manufacturing" pursues fully automated operations, creating factories that are intelligent, self-optimising, and human-free, to maximise efficiency and reduce operational risks.
A*STAR ARTC seeks to extend this ecosystem by involving technology partners, solution integrators, and end-users in the co-development of solutions and translation of research into industry applications. The centre's research leverages advanced manufacturing process technology, smart manufacturing, intelligent sustainability analytics, precision imaging, and autonomous systems to support adoption of next-generation manufacturing solutions.
Focus on sustainability
Another aspect of the partnership centres on decarbonisation in the chemicals and energy sector. The A*STAR Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (A*STAR ISCE2) and Siemens are jointly working on research projects exploring how automation and digital tools can help achieve lower carbon emissions in key industries.
This includes initiatives to demonstrate Siemens' Digital Twin technology, which empowers engineers to simulate and optimise chemical processes and production facility designs. Such tools seek to integrate engineering and operations, helping companies manage plant design complexity and speed up construction times.
Public-private collaboration
The collaboration is viewed by both organisations as a demonstration of private and public sector synergy in developing regional manufacturing capabilities. Through alignment of innovation, sustainability, and industrial needs, the agreement is expected to assist Singapore in acting as a hub for solutions that can scale across ASEAN and beyond.
"Our partnership with A*STAR reflects Siemens' deep commitment to shaping the future of manufacturing in ASEAN. By combining Industrial AI, digital twin technology, and intelligent automation, we are enabling companies to transform at speed and scale—toward greater resilience, sustainability, and global competitiveness," said Thai-Lai Pham, President and CEO of Siemens ASEAN.
Prof Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive, Science and Engineering Research Council, A*STAR, commented, "Together with Siemens, we are developing solutions that will accelerate digital transformation and support decarbonisation efforts across the region. This represents A*STAR's continued commitment to translational research, bridging the gap between frontier research and real-world applications with industry partners. This multi-faceted collaboration looks to strengthen Singapore's position as a regional hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing in ASEAN."